Maine-made yacht wins Australian race
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) —A Maine-made yacht has won a prestigious sailing race from Sydney, Australia, to Hobart, Tasmania, and back.
Billionaire Texan Jim Clark, a co-founder of Netscape, and his wife, Kristi, own the 100-foot Comanche. It finished the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race on Dec. 28, 2015 in two days, 8 hours, 58 minutes and 30 seconds.
Dangerous seas caused damage that knocked out some of the competitors. And Comanche’s skipper nearly gave up before the crew repaired a damaged rudder.
It was the first time that a Maine-built boat has won the race. Hodgdon Yachts, which built Comanche, is based in East Boothbay.